The big insurance corporations have already spent $5.7 million to defeat me because they do not want an Insurance Commissioner who will hold them accountable.  They do not want me to win, because they know I will stand up for you!

I need your help to fight their negative attack campaign. Please contribute any amount you can so that I can increase my television ads in the last six days of the campaign.

Please click here to contribute to our media fund.

I will not be discouraged by their smear campaign and obscene spending and neither should you. 

Aren't you sick of being bullied by the insurance companies?  Now is your chance to fight back.  Please click here to contribute to my campaign and show the insurance industry that the people have the power.

The more times voters see our TV ads, the more likely they are to vote for us.  By making a donation of $25, $50, $100, $250, $500, or whatever you can afford up to the maximum $6,500, you can make the difference between a victory for consumers or another conquest by the insurance companies.

We have six days until the election.  Our campaign overhead is budgeted and paid for.  That means that by donating now, you will have the biggest impact on our campaign because 100% of your donation will go right to our media fund.

Please make a contribution today. Standing together, we will defeat the insurance industry on November 2nd.

With warmest thanks,

 
Today two of California's most important consumer advocacy groups - The Consumer Federation of California and Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety (C.A.R.S.) -  joined me to protest the $5.7 million that the insurance industry is spending to elect my opponent -  an anti-consumer, pro-insurance industry candidate.

Thank you to the many consumers who joined us outside the headquarters of Mercury Insurance whose CEO has personally contributed $1 million to the negative attack ads designed to defeat my candidacy.

"Not since the days when Chuck Quackenbush was driven out of the Insurance Commissioner's office have we seen insurance companies spend this kind of money to dictate who our next Insurance Commissioner will be," said Richard Holober, Executive Director of the Consumer Federation of California.

 

So far, insurance companies have contributed $5.7 million to an "independent expenditure" committee sponsored by the California Chamber of Commerce that is running a negative ad campaign against me throughout the state.

 

By laundering contributions through the California Chamber of Commerce, insurance companies are hiding from voters that it's the insurance industry paying for the attack ads.

 

"Voters have a right to know that insurance companies are funding the attack ads against Dave Jones, who has been a strong, pro-consumer champion," said Rosemary Shahan, President of Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety (C.A.R.S.) "Mercury General and other insurers clearly think that Dave Jones' opponent will favor them, against consumers." 

The insurance companies funding the California Chamber of Commerce's negative campaign are:

Allstate: $1.15 million       

 

George Joseph , CEO                        

Mercury Insurance : $1 million

Liberty Mutual: $640,000

Progressive: $390,000     

Farmers: $225,000        

Anthem Blue Cross: $150,000        

Health Net: $95,000                    

American Insurance Assoc.

IE PAC: $52,000

Personal Insurance

Federation of CA: $25,000    

In addition to the attack ads funded by the insurance contributions listed above, the California Chamber of Commerce ran a $2 million issue ad campaign for my opponent, once again hiding the source of the funds. 

This brings the total amount spent to $5.7 million to elect an Insurance Commissioner who will favor the insurance industry over consumers.

"Insurance Companies have a lot at stake since the next Insurance Commissioner will be responsible for implementing national health care reform," said Laurel Kaufer, an Anthem Blue Cross customer whose rates were almost increased by 34% this year. "Dave Jones supports national health care reform. His opponent does not."

I am proud to be on the side of California's consumers. We may not have the millions of dollars that the insurance industry has, but I know that voters will see through their deceptive campaign.

There's no doubt that we have a tough fight ahead of us in the next 7 days. Please contact everyone you know and tell them about the insurance industry's deceptive campaign, and ask them to vote for me on Election Day!

It's time we had an Insurance Commissioner who is on the side of California's consumers and not the insurance industry.

Thanks for your continued support,

 
The big insurance corporations have already spent $5.7 million to defeat me because they do not want an Insurance Commissioner who will hold them accountable.  They do not want me to win, because they know I will stand up for you!

I need your help to fight their negative attack campaign. Please contribute any amount you can so that I can increase my television ads in the last six days of the campaign.

Please click here to contribute to our media fund.

I will not be discouraged by their smear campaign and obscene spending and neither should you. 

Aren't you sick of being bullied by the insurance companies?  Now is your chance to fight back.  Please click here to contribute to my campaign and show the insurance industry that the people have the power.

The more times voters see our TV ads, the more likely they are to vote for us.  By making a donation of $25, $50, $100, $250, $500, or whatever you can afford up to the maximum $6,500, you can make the difference between a victory for consumers or another conquest by the insurance companies.

We have six days until the election.  Our campaign overhead is budgeted and paid for.  That means that by donating now, you will have the biggest impact on our campaign because 100% of your donation will go right to our media fund.

Please make a contribution today. Standing together, we will defeat the insurance industry on November 2nd.

With warmest thanks,

 
In a major investigative report in today's Los Angeles Times, reporter Patrick McGreevy detailed how my opponent Mike Villines used his political influence with the Department of Motor Vehicles ("DMV") to overturn its denial of an operating permit for a large RV dealership with a long history of unethical and deceptive business practices.
 
The owner of the RV dealership, Dan Gamel of Fresno, was previously convicted for bribery, according to the Los Angeles Times. After Villines got the DMV to issue him a permit, Gamal then contributed $6,500 to Villines' campaign for Insurance Commissioner on 6/3/2010.
 
Click here to read the L.A Times article.
 
After Gamel's dealership was denied an operating permit by DMV administrative staff, Villines intervened directly with the DMV's Director, George Valverde, a political appointee of Governor Schwarzenegger. After meeting with Villines, Valverde ordered the denial overturned.
 
On the same day, Valverde fired the DMVs chief counsel, Craig Stevenson, who had strenuously objected to allowing Villines to circumvent the process.
 
In addition to the $6,500 contribution to Villines's Insurance Commissioner campaign, Gamel has made $69,700 in contributions to other Republican candidates and causes including $31,200 in contributions to Governor Schwarzenegger.
 
Mike Villines should immediately return the $6,500 contribution and any other contributions associated with Gamel.  
 
Gamel has repeatedly violated state deceptive business laws. He was convicted of bribery, according to the LA Times.  It was wrong for Mike Villines to use his office to force the DMV to give Gamel a permit and it was wrong to accept a contribution from him.  He should return it today.
 
The Insurance Commissioner oversees the Department of Insurance, which works much like the DMV with regard to insurance issues. It licenses and regulates the rates and practices of insurance companies, agents and brokers, and it is designed to protect consumers with regard to insurance.
 
If Mike Villines is willing to circumvent the DMV's licensing procedures to help a campaign donor, what is he likely to do if he is elected Insurance Commissioner? No wonder insurance companies have spent over $3 million trying to elect him.
 
Please forward this email to all of your friends and family, and ask them to support the Insurance Commissioner candidate who will fight for them.
 
Thanks for your continued support,

 
We only have 11 days left before Election Day.  Absentee voters are voting as you read this.  I need your help right away.
 
Insurance companies have already spent $4.6 million to defeat my candidacy for Insurance Commissioner and they are planning to spend millions more.
 
The insurance companies are trying to buy the office for my opponent. The stakes are high. My opponent opposes national health care reform, he is anti-choice, and he votes consistently for insurance companies and against consumers and businesses.
 
I am the only candidate for this office endorsed by the Consumer Federation of California, as well as California's teachers, firefighters, police officers, nurses and the National Organization for Women (NOW).
 
But the most important endorsement I could get in the days ahead is yours.
 
Please cut and paste the text below and use it to send an email to all of your contacts. Ask them to support me on Election Day! We can combat the millions of dollars insurance companies are spending if everyone reading this email right now sends a message today.
 
Please send the following text in an email to all of your friends and family today:
 
Election Day is Tuesday, November 2nd, and I'm writing to you to ask you to vote for Dave Jones for Insurance Commissioner.
 
The Insurance Commissioner is one of the most important elected offices in California - it is the office that is supposed to protect consumers and businesses from abusive insurance industry practices. The person elected will be responsible for overseeing the implementation of national Health Care Reform in California. It is also an office that can hold the insurance industry accountable.
 
The insurance companies have launched a multi-million dollar campaign against Dave Jones because they know he is not afraid to stand up to them and protect consumers and businesses.
 
As a member of the California State Assembly, Dave Jones is leading the fight to stop health insurance companies like Anthem Blue Cross from hiking their health insurance rates. He authored legislation (AB 2578) to regulate health insurance rates just like we do with auto, property and casualty insurance under Proposition 103, which has saved consumers millions of dollars. His opponent voted against it.
 
Jones also passed legislation (AB 119) to stop insurance companies from charging women higher premiums than men for the exact same policies. His opponent voted against it.
 
Jones won an award as the state's most effective legislator for his landmark work protecting privacy rights and creating the nation's largest preschool program. He is endorsed by the Consumer Federation of California, California's teachers, firefighters, police officers, nurses, and the California National Organization for Women.
 
Dave Jones is the only candidate who refuses to accept contributions from the insurance industry. His opponent has taken over $54,000 so far from insurance companies, and insurance companies are spending millions to elect him because they know he's on their side.  Please don't let the insurance companies decide who our next Insurance Commissioner will be.
 

Thanks for your continued support,